1 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS. 25
2 ’
3 Nevertheless the force at Loodianah and Ferozpore
4 ‘Was kept on the watch. /
5 Heera Singh had succeeded his father as prime Heers'_ Singh
6 minister. He had been the especial favorite of the Bribe Minis:
7 Maharajah Runjeet Singh. He was always near
8 him, and allowed to be seated in his presence, an
9 honour denied to even Dhyan Singh. In appear- y4;, character.
10 ance, he was rather effeminate, and did not resem- .
11 ble his father, who was a fine, tall, powerful man.
12 Little of energy was expected from him, but his
13 first act showed, that jis intercourse with Runjeet
14 Singh had conferred advantages on Heera Singh
15 which made up for any deficiency in natural
16 talents. His measures were prudent and such as
17 the crisis demanded. He had utterly destroyed
18 the powerful family of the Scindinwalas who had
19 murdered ‘his father, and cherished a deep-rooted
20 hatred to Shere Singh, which however had been
21 smothered for a,time by the favours lavished on the
22 members of it by the Maharajah. But Heera Singh Influence of
23 wean ee i 5 e Julla over
24 had injudicious and interested advisers, and it was Heera Singh.
25 soon discovered that a Pundit named Julla possessed
26 an entire influence over the Rajah, who followed
27 the advice of this cunning Hindoo in all matters of
28 state. In order to reconcile the army and render
29 it subservient to his wishes, Heera Singh was ue endea-
30 obliged to make promises which he could not pos- orRe.re
31 sibly fulfil, The Treasury was exhausted, and.4™%
32 the more he bestowed on an idle and discontented
33 soldiery the greater were its demands. Discontent
34 followed, and the Rajah, no longer able to stem